Friday, January 20, 2017

The Start of a Discussion

In short, Trump’s presidency is, from both a democratic and procedural standpoint, no more legitimate than the Pinochet regime in Chile, or the Ulbricht regime in East Germany.

So, first things first: figuring out how to live in a place that as of today resembles at a very fundamental level East Germany in 1951 or Chile in 1973 requires coming to grips that this is where we live now. (Obviously there are still various differences between these places. For example I can still publish this post.) Where we live now means that the appropriate attitude of patriotic citizens is one of resistance to the regime: not merely resistance to its particular political goals and initiatives, but resistance to its purported legitimacy. How is the latter sort of resistance carried out? That will depend entirely on the particular position of each individual who is part of the resistance. But the first step is to recognize the political and social reality of our present situation. Suggestions for further steps are most welcome.

It's a conversation worth chiming in on if you have ideas. LGM commenters are great.